Instaling Gentoo with kernel-2.4.37...?

Huk · n00b Joined: 03 Apr 2009 Posts: 4

Hello everybody.

I'm trying to install Gentoo... with kernel-2.4 (Yes, I need it for specific hardware that doesn't work with 2.6). I'm trying to follow standard stage3 installation guide. I emerged gcc-3.4 and was even able to compile kernel-2.4.37. However, after I tried to boot my system, after few seconds of booting process I got:

Simba7 · Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 3:50 pm Post subject:

What is the hardware that doesn't like 2.6?

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 4:51 pm Post subject:

Huk,

Kernel 2.4 does not support udev or nptl, which are central to Gentoo today.
You can use devfs or a static /dev to get around udev but nptl is more of an issue.
You will need an old glibc.

In effect, your are stuck with old software, much of which will not be in portage any more.

It may be better to migrate the driver you need to the 2.6 kernel, rather than adapt the install to the hardware.

Huk · n00b Joined: 03 Apr 2009 Posts: 4

@Simba7:
Kyro graphic card, there are drivers for kernel-2.4 only (except vesa but this can hardly by called “driver” ;] )

@NeddySeagoon:
I see... ok, so maybe one more question, if I install older distro with kernel 2.4 (Debian Sarge or Slackware 11 or something), will I be able to compile and use new glibc? In other words, can I compile new glibc (glibc-2.9) with kernel 2.4 or do I have to use kernel 2.6?

Thanks in advance.

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 6:28 pm Post subject:

Huk,

I think you must use glibc-2.2.

What does lspci show your hardware to be ?
_________________
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NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

Simba7 · Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 9:55 pm Post subject:

Carnildo · Guru Joined: 17 Jun 2004 Posts: 594

I haven't installed any 2.4 systems with recent Gentoo, but I've got an older system that's still running it. I've found the following packages to be incompatible with the 2.4-series kernels:

cach0rr0 · Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 2:00 am Post subject:

this may be a silly question/observation, but...does the driver included with the minimal CD actually give you video?

cant get my head around that - if youre booting from the CD with a 2.6 kernel and getting video....see where im going with this?

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 11:18 am Post subject:

cach0rr0,

The minimal CD uses the framebuffer driver, which works by drawing in the graphics card pixel buffer itself.
The CPU does all the work, pixel by pixel. Any hardware acceleration features the graphics card may have are just ignored.

In Xorg, with the correct driver, the CPU workload can be much reduced by offloading the low level drawing to the GPU. The CPU then describes to the GPU, what it wants done ... e.g. draw a rectangle and fill it with a colour. This is 2D acceleration.

Its not a question of no drivers, its no acceleration at all.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

Huk · n00b Joined: 03 Apr 2009 Posts: 4

Heh to be honest – I have other cards for this PC - currently I work on C2D and Geforce 9800 GT, the “other” PC (one with Kyro) is Duron 1200 384 MB Ram, Via KT333 chipset (ECS K7VTA3B Motherboard) I use it for hardware testing, to see if it works under Linux – I was curious to find out if Kyro would work with newer distro... but from what I read here and on other forums – there are no “new” distros that ships with kernel-2.4 :] (with few exceptions like DSL – but even it uses old Debian packages).

Of course I could use frame buffer but it is very slow (and I guess directFB won't work with Kyro either...), also vesa seams to work fine, so that is another possibility.

Thanks for your help... one more request if you don't mind.

Here is current (?? I don't think we can call this driver “current” ;]) driver:

http://www.imgtec.com/powervr/insider/powervr-drivers.asp

From this site:

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 6:26 pm Post subject:

Huk,

You are correct as far as you go.

There is a kernel part with a wrapper. There is also a binary part which interfaces to Xorg.
Xorg started out as a fork of XFree86 but it has been under continuous development since.

Its unlikely that the Xorg part will work with a modern Xorg, so fixing the kernel part is not enough.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

Huk · n00b Joined: 03 Apr 2009 Posts: 4

I see... well I can always try to write new driver from scratch... hmmm would be nice project for my studies :lol:

Thanks for all your help.

Best regards.